Disability Services

There are many phone services to assist cusomers who may have hearing or speech disabilities, including the following:

Dial 7-1-1 for the Kansas Relay Center
The Kansas Relay Center (KRC) is a free service that connects customers who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities with others, using either standard telephone equipment or telephone equipment that has been specifically designed for individuals with disabilities. Making a call is simple: dial 7-1-1 or the toll-free number, 1-800-766-3777. A trained Communications Assistant will answer your call and relay the telephone conversation between you and the party you are calling. All call information and conversations are confidential. Relay service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This service will handle local and long distance calls. In placing a long-distance call, you will be asked who your long distance carrier is. You will then be billed for the call or you can place the call collect or to a pre-paid calling card.

Telephone Numbers for Kansas Relay Center:

TTY

1 (800) 766-3777

Voice

1 (800) 766-3777

VCO

1 (800) 766-3777

HCO

1 (800) 766-3777

Spanish

1 (866) 305-1343

Speech to Speech

1 (866) 305-1344

Customer Service (Voice)

1 (785) 234-0200

Customer Service (TTY)

1 (785) 234-0207

Types of TRS Calls

Computer (ASCII) users can access the Kansas Relay Center by setting the communications software to the following protocals: speeds ranging from 300 to 2400: 8 Bits, No Parity; 1 Stop Bit; Full Duplex. For speeds at or below 300, follow the above using Half Duplex.

HCO allows hearing individuals with very limited or no speech capability to type his or her conversation for the Communications Assistant to read aloud to the hearing person. The HCO user hears the other party’s response.

Connect to the relay using your computer or other web device: http://www.hamiltonrelay.com/index.html The Communications Assistant handles the call the same as a traditional relay call – “voicing” or reading everything you type to the other party – and typing everything the other party says for you to read on your screen.

Also called TeleTypewriter, TTY is a specially designed typewriter-like device that allows users to carry on telephone conversations in the form of text conversations with the Communications Assistant.

VCO enables people who have difficulty hearing on the phone to voice their conversations directly to the hearing person. The Communications Assistant types the hearing person’s response to the VCO user. VCO requires a specially designed telephone.

Cap-Tel allows a person who has hearing loss to receive word-for-word captions of their telephone conversations on their phone. To use captioned telephone service, one must have a CapTel phone. Users of CapTel service place a call using a CapTel phone, simply dialing the number of the person they wish to call. The CapTel phone automatically connects to the captioning service. The captions are displayed on the telephone built-in display screen so that the user can read the words while listening to the voice of the other party.

Telecommunications Access Program (TAP)

The Kansas Telecommunications Access Program (TAP) is a telecommunications FREE equipment distribution program. The program is funded through the Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF) and is regulated by the Kansas Universal Services Fund (KUSF and is regulated by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). The purpose of TAP is to provide specialized equipment to Kansan’s with disabilities or impairments in order to access basic telecommunications services. For more information, go to atk.ku.edu/ks-tap.

TTY Users and Emergency Assistance

TTY callers should directly dial 9-1-1 or other existing emergency numbers in emergency situations. Emergency 9-1-1 centers are now equipped to handle TTY calls. After the 9-1-1 dispatcher answers the call, press the space bar may to help inform the dispatcher this is a TTY call. Dial 9-1-1 directly, as using Relay Service for 9-1-1 may result in a delay to getting your urgent message through.

MTC provides local, reliable service to our customers. Offering the latest communication technologies to grow with the communities we serve.